Improvement in dredging-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. M. JONES.

Dredging-Machine.

No. 206,575. Patented July 30, 1878 NPEIERS, PnoYo-LITMOGRAPHER.WASHINGTON. n c,

2 Sheets-Sheet. 2. T. M. JONES.

Dredging-Machine. v No. 206,575 Patenied July 30, 1878.

- T7ws. MT 7572/es.

NJ'ETER s, PHOTO-LITNuRAPHER, WASHINGTON D G.

UNITED STAT SPATENT OFFIE.

THOMAS M; JONES, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDGlNG-MACHINES.

Spccilicalion forming part ofLellcrs Patent No. 206,575, dated July 110,1878; application filed June 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THon'As MJJinins, of

Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new;

and useful Improvements in Current Excavating-Dredges, of which thefollowing is a specification: I

up and loosening and throwing up into thenatural current, or currentcaused by suitable mechanism, for removal by said current, the earth ordeposit at the bot-toms of rivers, harbors, 8E0.

My invention consists, first, in the combination, with a boat, barge, orother floating structure, of a paddle-wheel provided with a series ofpaddles or floats, beveled from the rear to a sharp front edge, and setat an angle of about fifteen degrees to the diameter of the circle inwhich they rotate, and a dredgingwheel supported from the boat by ahinged frame, and provided with blades inclined at an angle to itsdiameter, whereby the current of water and earth thrown up by thedredgingwheel is carried to the rear, substantially as specified second,in the combination, with the dredging-wheel and its operating mechanism,

of the paddle-wheels by which the boat'or' structure is propelled, thetwo being so arranged relatively that the current established by thepaddles of the propelling-wheelswill assist in carrying off the earth ordeposits thrown up by the dredging-wheel, as more fully hereinafterspecified; third, in the combination, with the arms which carry thedredging-wheel, of two chains, ropes, or cords, extending from or nearthe ends of said arms or beams diagonally under the bottom of the boator structure to drums or windlasses mounted, at opposite sides of thesaid boat or structure, on a shaft extending across the same, wherebythe dredging-wheel and its arms may be rigidly braced in any desiredposition, as more fully hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1' represents a side elevation of a boat,showing my improved dredging mechanism. Fig.2 represents atop view ofthe same. Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of said boat, and Fig. 4represents a detached sectional view of the hollow gudgeons.

The letter A represents the sides of the boat, barge, or other floatingstructure which carries the working parts of the dredgingmachine. At thestern of said boat is located the propelling mechanism, consisting,preferably, of two paddle-wheels, B' B, extending transversely acrossthe boat, and journaled independently of each. other in bearings D D atthe center of the boat and at each side of the boat, respectively. Thepaddles of said wheels are constructed of wrought-iron or wood platedwithirou or other metal, and are beveled from the rear to a sharp frontedge, so as to cut into the water with facility. Said paddles are set atan angle of about fifteen degrees to the diameter of the circle in whichthey rotate, so as to enter the water at an angle, with the edgeforemost, and not horizontally, with the side foremost, as is the casewhen they are arranged radially, as is customary. By this means they arecaused to more readily enter and take hold of the water, and willestablish a horizontal current toward the rear, near the surface,instead of establishing a, current toward the bottom, as would be thecase if they were set radially, as customary, which would counteract theascending current established by the dredging-wheel, which wouldmaterially interfere with the effective operation of the apparatus. Twoor more of said paddles are employed, and they are preferably mountedupon radial spokes extending from the shaft of the wheel, so as to leavea space for the passage of V the water forward and re lieve the wheelsof some of the strain caused by their rotation in the water, and toenable them to be set deeper in the same. The adjoining ends of theshafts of said wheels, at the center of the boat, are provided withindependent cranks E E, connected by pitmen with the piston-rod of anengine or other motor, so that they can be rotated simultane ously inone direction separately, or in opposite directions, to facilitateturning in narrow streams in the same manner as a side-wheel boat.

By thus connecting the motor with the jour nals of the wheels at thecenter of the boat the cranks usually employed at the sides are renderedunnecessary and are dispensed with, giving the dredging machinery,hereinafter described, full and free play.

The letter F represents the dredging-wheel, which consists of a drum, G,journaled in the ends of two arms or beams, G, at each side of the boat,and provided with two or more sh arpedged blades, H, set at an ngle tothe diameter of the drum in such manner that as the drum is rotated theblades will penetrate the bottom of the stream or body of water, andexcavate and throw the earth and deposits upward into the current at thesurface of the water. The arms l are journaled at their upper ends tothe hollow gudgeons I, which are secured to and project beyond the sidesof the boat for the purpose.

The letter K represents a transverse shaft extending through and journaled in said gudgeons, and provided with a crank, L, connected by apitman to any suitable motor. Each end of said shaft is provided with agrooved drum or sprocket-wheel, M, from which extends an endless band,cord, or chain to a similar wheel, N, mounted on opposite ends of thejournals of the dredging-wheel.

It will be seen that as thus constructed the driving-shaft K is relievedof all strain of the dredging-wheel when cutting into the soil, which isimportant, as, the tremendous force exerted would otherwise cause greatfriction on said shaft and tend to throw it out of line or break, bend,or otherwise injure it. The shaft K, through the medium of its drums orsprocket-wheels and the endless bands, ropes, or chains, imparts theproper motion, in the direction of the arrows, to the dredgin g-wheel.

To each end of the arms G are secured chains 0, passin upward overpulleys P and forward to the drums on the shaft It, journaled 1nbearings at opposite sides of the boat. Said shaft is provided with aratchet-wheel, S, into .which engages a pawl, T, by means of which itmay be held in order to secure the dredging-wheel at any angle ofelevation, said wheel being elevated by rotating said shaft B, so as towind the chains thereon.

The letter T represents a transverse shaft journaled in bearings at eachside of the boat, and provided with drums U U on opposite ends. Fromthese drums extend the chains V V to the lower ends of the arms G, inwhich the dredging-wheel is journaled. Said shaft T is provided with aratchet-wheel, W, and pawl Z, by means of which it may be held in orderto secure the dredging-wheel in position to properly enter and throw upthe earth or deposit from the bottom of the stream or body of water.

The letter A represents a transverse shaft, similar to the shafts R andT, and journaled in the sides of the vessel on a horizontal line withsaid shafts. Said shaft A is provided with drums B B, from which extendchains D D diagonally under the bottom of the vessel to the ends of thearms G, to which they are secured. The object of these chains is to forma brace to said arms when drawn tight, so as to secure the said arms andthe dredgingwheel rigidly in place at any desired elevation and preventany lateral movement, in order to confine the dredging-wheel to thechannel. as the boat or vessel progresses.

The sh aft of the dredging-wheel is preferably constructed of cast-iron,with radial lugs beveled at a tangential line to the periphery of theshaft for the reception of the blades, which are constructed,preferably, of metal and removably secured to the tangential beveledfaces of the lugs, so that they maybe readily removed and replaced wheninjured. Two or more of said blades may be employed, the

.two diametrically opposite each other, with the shaft or journal havingan approximately S-shaped cross-section, by means of which the bladesare better adapted to excavate and throw up the earth, muck, sand,gravel, or other deposits usually formedat the bottoms of streams andbodies of water.

The pulleys on the driving-shaft which actuate the pulleys on the shaftof the dredgingwheel should be made considerably larger than the pulleyson said dredging-wheel in order that the revolutions of the latter maybe multiplied so as to give the dredgingwheel a rapid rotary movement.The pulleys on the dred gin g-wheel should be made smaller in diameterthan'said wheel in order topermit said dredging-wheel to readily sink inthe hard-clay bottoms of some streams or bodies of water as well as inthe soft sand or muck at the bottom of other streams, so as to allow theexcavating-wheel to enter the same and operate thereon, unless a crankis substituted for said pulleys on the dredgingavheel.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood in connectionwith the above description.

The boat is propelled through the water by means of the paddle wheels,the dredgingwheel being lowered to the bottom of the stream. As the dredgin g-wheel is rotated the earth, muck, gravel, sand, and other depositswill be thrown into the current at the surface of the stream or body ofthe water. The eurrent established by the paddle-wheels will operate inconjunction with the natural current to carry the earth down the streamor to the rear of the boat, thus materially assisting in its removal.

My invention is applicable to all dredging and ditching purposes, suchas cleaning out channels, cutting across sand-bars in rivers, turningchannels of rivers, cutting through bars at the entrance of harbors, andalso clearing harbor-channels with the outgoing tide.

.What I claim is 1. In combination with a boat, barge, or other floatingstructure, a paddle-wheel provided with a series of paddles or floats,beveled from the rear to a sharp front edge, and set at an angle ofabout fifteen degrees to the diameter of the circle in which theyrotate, and a dredging-wheel supported from the boat by a hinged frameand provided with blades inclined at an angle to its diameter, wherebythe dred gin g-whecl, the chains extending from or near the ends of saidarms diagonally under the bottom of the boat to the drums on oppositesides of said boat mounted on a transverse shaft, whereby thedredging-machine may be rigidly braced in any desired position,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS M. JONES.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. NORRIS, JAS. A. RUTHERFORD.

